Injuries have always had effects on athletes from small injuries to big ones. They will always be a part of sports and even life-changing for some. Many athletes at Foran High School have been faced with injuries and have had many different impacts from them, such as being out for a season or out of sports for the rest of their high school years.

     Student-athletes who have been faced with these challenges include senior football captains Kyle Zarnoch, Kyle Pokornowski and senior football player Luca Ubaldi. Zarnoch was a middle linebacker on defense and a left tackle on offense. Zarnoch had been taken out of the season due to a torn meniscus which had forced him to undergo surgery. 

     Zarnoch says, “Being injured has affected me in every aspect of my daily life, from  laying down, to getting dressed, everything changed and I couldn’t say it was for the better. I am going to physical therapy two times a week for a month and then one time a week after that to build my flexibility and strength back up. My future with catching is in question but I strongly think I will be able to play.”

     As well as being a part of the football team, Zarnoch was also a catcher for the baseball team for three years. Zarnoch hopes to get back onto the field soon and further his career in baseball as a catcher. Until then, Zarnoch will continue to work hard to regain strength and muscle in his knee.

     Senior athlete Luca Ubaldi was an outside linebacker on defense and a wide receiver on offense. Ubaldi had also been on the sidelines for the rest of the season due to a torn labrum during the first football game of his career. Due to this injury, Ubaldi was forced to undergo surgery, much like Zarnoch.

     Ubaldi is also a multi-sport athlete who is also a huge part of the lacrosse team. During his three years attending Foran and playing lacrosse, Ubaldi managed to go all state and receive a scholarship to play at the University of Western Connecticut.

     During the winter, Ubaldi is a part of the hockey team. He  has been a varsity starter for the last three years and was captain of the team his junior year. 

     Ubaldi says, “It has been hard not playing the sports I love, but I am fully focused on recovery now, and have the spring season to look forward to.”

     Ubaldi will further his lacrosse career at the University of Western Connecticut, but until then he will be working hard off the field to regain strength and muscle within his shoulder to come back and be a part of the Foran Lions team for his final time in the spring. 

     Pokornowski was a senior football player who played safety on defense and was a wide receiver on offense. 

     Pokornowski says, “Being injured made it so I couldn’t do a lot of the tasks I wanted to do. I couldn’t run or grab things with two hands anymore because of the crutches, but I’m making sure I listen to what the doctor says and push myself during physical therapy to get back as fast as possible. Being injured has affected my future, because I was thinking of playing football in college, but due to a lack of a season that seemed almost impossible.”

     Pokornowski had been taken out for a few games of his senior season but still managed to never give up and finish off the season. Now Pokornowski can be seen on the wrestling team working hard every day to become a state champion

     Another season cut short is Senior Owen Mccabe,  due to a torn ACL, in the second week of the season Mccabe was unfortunately sidelined for this reason and would sit out for the remainder of the season as well as his wrestling season.

     Senior Owen McCabe was sidelined in the early weeks of the season, due to a torn ACL. McCabe is going to physical therapy weekly and regaining his strength back but will also miss the wrestling season. He has high hopes of possibly being able to play lacrosse in the spring but only time will tell.